116. Plans for a Date
116. Plans for a Date
***
What kind of life had the "me" of this world actually lived?
Listening to Seoyun, I couldn't help but think about it.
—25-year-old Han Serin.
—The me inside the world of Black Ark.
The appearances were so alike it couldn't be called coincidence, and there was more: the fact that I wielded a Crescent-Moon Weight in Another World, the environment with a younger sister who had a habit of quietly nagging, the fact that I couldn't eat spicy food, and even that I'd always liked games.
The more I thought about it one by one, the more things overlapped.
And now I was clearly aware that the current "me" had also been another me.
'Come to think of it... did my sense of self merge?'
Still, there were a few things that made even me doubtful—like how my emotions had become rich enough to actually feel after waking in this world, or how I'd started laughing easily at little things for no reason.
The distinctive part of me that gripped a Crescent-Moon Weight and obsessed over duels with others remained, but it was clearly different from the fanatical obsession with hunting monsters and swinging a weapon day after day like in the world of Black Ark.
These thoughts suddenly drifted through my head, but the end of them was always empty.
"..."
There was no way for me to learn the truth anyway.
It wasn't the kind of problem I could solve just by agonizing over it.
The things that had happened ever since I fell into the game world called Black Ark had long since gone beyond my understanding.
A transcendent phenomenon like a god's prank—I still couldn't even grasp what intention lay behind it, but there was nothing I could do except endure it.
—Seriously... why is my sister so cute today?
Then Seoyun's voice suddenly reached me, pulling me out of my long reverie.
A laugh escaped me before I knew it, and words flowed out naturally.
"...Cute? Seoyun, is there anything you won't say these days?"
—Ah, seriously. It's because you're so cute when I listen to you talk, Sis. You do all sorts of things by yourself so you won't make your little sister worry... I've told you so many times to tell me if something's on your mind, seriously.
"Seoyun... starting as a streamer or NewTuber isn't something worth telling you about like it's some big worry."
—Hmm... I can see it clear as day. Before you started streaming, you definitely spent days agonizing by yourself over whether to do it or not.
...Agonizing for days, then acting.
'I'm realizing it all over again—this really is... me.'
Before falling into the world of Black Ark, I used to agonize over even the smallest things.
Listening to Seoyun, I felt like my old self was surfacing for no reason.
But after learning through my body in Black Ark—if you didn't want to die—that you never know reality until you crash into it head-on, my actions and way of speaking had naturally changed.
"Well, anyway... Seoyun, you don't have to worry about me that much. These days I'm so busy I don't even know where the time goes. I'm doing better than you think, you know?"
At the end, I even let out something childish like that.
Since I knew how much Seoyun always worried about me, I wanted to show her that I was doing that well.
—Yeah. I think that's true. Two million views on NewTube—isn't my sister doing really well? When did you get this successful, Sis?
"Well... from the start?"
I said I'd been successful from the start, then let out a small laugh. It felt like I was acting tough in front of Seoyun for no reason.
Thinking back again, when I was the hot topic in the community, starting my first stream with Sua's help could only be explained as heaven-sent luck.
Who would believe me if I told them that the girl who had stalked me on my first outing was actually a big-name streamer?
And the way I gradually got to know Sua's personality and grew close to her—thinking about it now, it was all just one amazing thing after another.
—Pfft... listen to you, Sis. Oh, and now that I think about it, do you know you've gotten really smooth-talking lately?
"That's how it sounds to you, Seoyun?"
—Yeah. Sis, you've gotten really good at talking lately. Before, you wouldn't even stay on the phone with me this long, but now you just go along with my teasing like it's nothing.
I held back a small sigh at Seoyun's words and opened my mouth.
"I'll call you often like this from now on."
—Seriously, listen to you. Why are you saying things like that today, Sis...?
"Why? Is what I said weird?"
—No, it's just... I don't know, listening to you talk, I can't get used to it. You sound softer than usual. Sis, you don't talk to other people with that voice, do you? You'd probably charm everyone you meet.
"You worry about the weirdest things, really... Don't worry, there's no one I'm seeing."
My days started and ended with briefly prepping for stream and then streaming, so most of the day passed just from that. I rarely had the spare time to meet anyone.
Days off from streaming were about the only time I could go out.
—Well, I guess so. My sister is a total homebody who barely leaves the house.
At Seoyun's follow-up, I answered like I'd been stung.
"No, Seoyun... I do go out."
Just yesterday I'd definitely gone out. I met Eunha and enjoyed a seriously luxurious time.
I wasn't just holed up at home.
—Hmm. Is that so? Then, Sis, should we meet up and go on a date next time?
"A date? You really say the strangest things."
—What's strange about it, Sis~ Meeting up with you after so long, shopping together, eating together, watching a movie—that's a date. What's the big deal?
After that, Seoyun and I made plans for a date that hadn't been in my plans at all, and the call kept going as we caught each other up on our lives.
***
—Sis, what did you eat for dinner tonight?
"Uh. Chicken...?"
As I answered, I turned my head and saw a chicken box on the desk, about half-eaten.
I'd ordered chicken before today's stream to stave off hunger, and the thought that I still hadn't cleaned it up pricked my conscience for no reason.
—No... Sis! You need to eat proper meals. Are you eating greasy fast food like chicken and pizza every single day?
"No, I definitely had Korean food yesterday."
Last night I'd definitely had sundubu-jjigae. I could say it with confidence.
—That was delivery too, right?
"No, well, that's true, but..."
—Sis, do you know a lot of delivery places have really bad hygiene and food-prep conditions...? Did you finish all the side dishes I put in your fridge when I stopped by last time?
At Seoyun's nonstop stream of words, I answered blankly.
"Ah, no...?"
No, this was a total no-win situation.
As I answered, I felt like I was sinking into an endless bog.
I did sometimes set out and eat the side dishes Seoyun made, but honestly, after finishing a stream, I couldn't deny that delivery food was more tempting.
No matter how good Seoyun's cooking was, I couldn't eat the side dishes she made every single day.
—This won't do. On the day of our date, I'm checking your place first, Sis.
It sounded like pressure to finish all the side dishes she'd made before then...
That was so cute for no reason that I changed the subject.
"Seoyun, so did you spend any of the money I sent you last time?"
I'd sent quite a lot of money to the account she gave me. I wondered if she'd spent some of it by now.
—Hmm... just on buying meals, I guess? No, Sis, why did you send that much money?
"It wasn't that much... I just have that much to spare. I've got money to take care of my little sister."
In the first place, aside from the maintenance fees for this officetel, delivery food, and occasional shopping, I had no real expenses.
Shopping with Eunha yesterday had been my biggest recent expense...
'And even that... today I received a ten-million-won donation from Eunha.'
In reality, the speed at which I earned money was overwhelmingly faster than the speed at which it left.
Even without the massive 2.7 billion won sleeping in one corner of my bank account, my daily life would barely be affected.
The donations from tweetie did have a waiting period before actual withdrawal, but even the money coming in right away was quite substantial.
—Really? Hmm... Then should I buy that Another World thing too and try it, since you play it?
She said it like she was interested because it was the game I played, and I asked, half in disbelief.
"Seoyun, don't tell me you don't have an Another World access capsule?"
—Yeah. Of course not. What would I do with a game capsule in a university dorm?
"I'll buy you one."
—Sis, seriously... you must have a lot of money. I mean, who just says they'll buy something that expensive without even hesitating?
When she nagged, she acted like she was older than me, but when it came to money, she reacted to every little thing like a younger sister. It was cute.
"Give me your dorm address and I'll pay for it..."
—No, Sis, forget it. I was just saying. I'm graduating this year, so why would I buy a game capsule now? If I play, I can just go to a capsule room. Ah, no, never mind. Fall break is coming up soon, so buy it for me then, when I'm staying at your place. Then we can play together and you can teach me yourself, right?
"Seoyun, you're really planning to stay at my place during break...?"
I asked back on reflex.
The last thing Seoyun had said when she visited last time suddenly came to mind.
—And once my exams are over, I'm going to crash at your place. So just know that.
She'd said she was going to crash at my place during break.
'That wasn't just talk?'
—Yeah, what would I do staying in the dorm? I want to spend time with family too.
...And Seoyun's follow-up words were something I couldn't bring myself to refuse.